How they met
by Mongoose McLore
Summary: Based on Rpg. Info in story. Gabriel goes back to England to start recording his first album. While there he not only meets his favorite band's lead singer but gets to go to a party with him. But things don't go as expected WARNING: Mild Slash!


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the x-men or anything to do with X-men. Though the characters of Damien, Gabriel and other non-x-men characters are mine.

Quick Summary of what you need to know: This is based off an RPG. Storm marries a man named Marshal Diamonds and his Sister has a son, Gabriel. She abandons him and 19 years later he finds Storm and X (marshal) and they take him in as their own. So that's what you need to know about Gabriel. Summary explains what the story is about

Gabriel Diamonds sat in the studio's lounge. His currently blonde hair gelled down and his eyes perfectly lined with black eyeliner. Most musicians would go there after recording. They would talk and laugh and just relax. Gabriel found himself staring at a laptop screen which displayed song lyrics sent to him from his cousin and band mate Gia Toynbee. She was still in New York, where he was from. Well, he wasn't really from there. He honestly didn't know where he was born. He considered himself from London, England since that was where he grew up. New York is just where his family lives and where he now calls home. He lives in Xavier's school for the Gifted with his parents, Ororo Munroe and Marshal Diamonds, and siblings, Pagan and Austin. No one in the studio knew of his mutant abilities. He wasn't ashamed of them but they did tend to sound scarier than the really were. Gabriel had the power to possess people. To take over their bodies. For Mutants it boosted their power, for humans…Gabriel wasn't quiet sure what happened to humans. He started to hum a melody that he thought would fit the song he found in front of him. He had read it 5 times and he felt like the end was missing something. He continued to hum. He heard the door open and close but he figured it was a intern or something. "You always sit alone hummin' to yourself?" A voice with a strong Scottish accent asked. Gabriel stopped humming and turned to see who the voice had come from. Before him stood a guy about 20, he had long brown hair that was cut in a style the resembled a mullet but wasn't quite. He wore a black leather trench coat and pants to match. His shirt was blue to match his choice of eye shadow. Gabriel recognized him at once as Damien Strode, a popular lead singer of a band called Insanity Kills. Gabriel would be lying if he said he wasn't a fan. "I was working on song lyrics" Gabriel said trying not to sound nervous but his English accented voice cracked a little. "Lyrics are usually words not sounds" Damien said and smiled. He let himself fall on a nearby couch. "Mind if I crash?" He asked. "Producers don't know when to call it a day" He added. Gabriel smiled. "Wouldn't know" He said. "Your in a band aren't you?" Damien asked. "Yes but we haven't recorded yet. I'm trying to get songs to show producers" Gabriel answered. "Oh, well enjoy this time you have now" Damien said. He leaned back against the back of the couch relaxing. Gabriel returned his attention to the computer screen. He couldn't believe that he actually ran into Damien Strode. He knew that he was under that studio's label, but he thought the odds were too great to actually meet him. "So what's your name?" Damien asked. Gabriel turned back around. His heart raced. "um…Gabriel Diamonds" He said. Damien smiled. "Damien Strode." He said sticking out his hand to shake Gabriel's. Gabriel shook Damien's hand and smiled. "What's the song about?" Damien asked jerstering to the laptop. "Oh, it's something my cousin wrote. She's in the band with me." Gabriel said. "It's about a girl who hooks up with a guy that she thinks likes her, but really it was just a hook up" He explained. "Can I read it?" Damien asked. "Sure!" Gabriel said too excited and he knew that it came out too excited. Damien smiled. He got up and bent over to look at the computer. "The ending…."Damien started to say. "Is missing something" Gabriel finished. "Yea" Damien said. He thought a second. "I got it" He said. Damien grabbed a nearby guitar. "That beat you were hummin' a second ago, how did it go?" He asked. Gabriel hummed it again. Damien nodded and played it on the guitar. He started to sing the ending of the song to the melody. He switched some words at the end. He finished playing. "How was that?" Damien asked. Gabriel sat there star struck. He tried to snap out of it. "Yea that was great" He said and smiled. He made the corrections on the laptop. Damien smiled. "Glad I could help" he said. At that moment a man in a suit walked in. "There you are, Mr. Strode. They are waiting for you in the meeting room. They want you to schedule interviews" He said. Damien nodded. He looked at Gabriel. "Like I said enjoy the time you have now" He said and laughed. Damien got up and put the guitar back. "well, I will see you around" He said and winked at Gabriel. Gabriel smiled and watched him leave. He sighed and went back to the songs he had yet to read.

A week later Gabriel walked into a recording session where he was told to meet Frainz Garlen, his producer. Frainz had worked with couple of the 'talent' at the night club Gabriel once worked at. Frainz had had a relationship with one of the entertainers and owed them a favor. So Gabriel turned into that favor. He had the songs perfected and he even had music written up. He saw a group of people in the recording area. He saw Frainz and walked up to him. Frainz looked at Gabriel and smiled. "Ah, Gabriel. Right on time. I like that" He said and shook Gabriel's hand. "Just wait for a minute, we're almost done here". Gabriel nodded and turned his attention to who was recording. Damien Strode stood in the recording booth playing an acoustic guitar and singing. He played the last cord and the song ended. Damien stepped out of the booth. He looked at Frainz and Gabriel. He smiled at Gabriel "Hey" He said. "Hi" Gabriel said. "That was great, Damien" Frainz said. "Are you sure it won't sound weird when you put the band's part in" Damien said to Frainz. "I'm positive." Frainz said. "I wish we could just wait until the rest of the band could be here" Damien said sighing. "Deadlines, Damien. Deadlines" Frainz said. "I know" Damien rolled his eyes. "It sounded good though" Gabriel chimed in. Damien smiled at him. "Have you two met?" Frainz asked the two boys. "Aye, I interrupted him while he was trying to work the other day" Damien said. "I was just looking at song lyrics" Gabriel explained. Frainz looked at his watch. "Well, Gabriel let's take a look at those lyrics" Frainz said leading Gabriel out of the room. "Are you going to the party on Saturday?" Damien called out to him. "Party?" Gabriel asked as he left the room. "There is a party for the release of an album by this new group. Everyone on the label is invited" Frainz explained as he walked Gabriel to his office. "Oh" Gabriel said flatly. He doubted that he was considered part of the label. " They are going to have a lot of security there and you'd have to be on the list to get it." Frainz explained. He could tell by the look on Gabriel's face that he had figured out that he wasn't going to be on the list. "But don't worry there will be plenty of more parties". Frainz opened the door to his office, walked in and sat down behind the desk. Gabriel walked into the room and closed the door behind him. He sat in the closest chair. "So show me the gold" Frainz said leaning back into his chair. The meeting lasted only 30 minutes. Gabriel had went over each song and the Producer just had to listen. He took the copies of the songs and that was it. Gabriel walked out of the office wondering if that was how that usually went. "Your done already?" Damien's voice came from behind him. Gabriel turned. "I thought you left already" Gabriel said to him. "I had to record a song over. It didn't come out right" He said. "Don't you need Frainz there?" Gabriel asked. "If we would have done that then we would have been here longer and he would have made us redo every song" Damien said. The two guys walked together down the hall. "You liking it so far?" Damien asked. "It's been my dream since I was about 15" Gabriel said. Damien smiled. " I was 18 when my band made it big" He said. "How did it feel?" Gabriel asked. "Amazing!" Damien said. "Like all our hard work had finally paid off.". Gabriel nodded and smiled. They walked outside. "You got a ride?" Damien asked as he walked to his driver. "No, I was gonna get a taxi" Gabriel said. Damien shook his head No. He waved Gabriel to come into the car with him as he got in. Gabriel hesitated, but got into the car. "I wouldn't have minded taking a cab" Gabriel said. "Saves you money this way" Damien said and smiled. "where do you live?". Gabriel gave him directions. Damien relayed them to the driver. Gabriel felt strange riding in Damien's car. His heart was beating fast again. He knew that if he was going to be around Damien he was going to have to get over his stupid fan crush. "So tell me about yourself" Damien said. Gabriel frowned. He wondered why Damien cared. "Well, I lived in England my whole life…actually since I was six. My parents lost me here. Long story…..I lived in an orphanage for awhile but didn't like that very much so I lived on the street for awhile then I started to work at this club. I worked there until this…thing…happened. I then took the opportunity to find my parents. Which I did. I lived with them for awhile and then decided to come back and do this" Gabriel said somewhat fast pace. "Woah" Damien said. "Sounds like you had quite the life. So how did they lose you? Your parents I mean". "As I said long story" Gabriel said and gave a weak smile. Damien nodded. "Aye, understood". They both remained silent. Gabriel looked at Damien, feeling more comfortable. "Your turn" He said. "What?" Damien asked though he was sure he knew what Gabriel meant. "Tell me about you" Gabriel said. "I'm boring. Normal childhood. Got in a band and here I am" He said. "Oh come on, you must have some sort of traumatic thing that happened to you" Gabriel said. "What can't a rock star be normal?" Damien asked with a fake shocked expression. "Well, give me something" Gabriel said playfully. Damien looked at him with a sideways glance. "In time, Gabriel. In time" He said. The driver pulled up to Gabriel's apartment building. "Thanks for the ride" Gabriel said to Damien. Damien gave a nod as a response. Gabriel opened the door. "Are you coming to the party?" Damien asked. "I'm not invited. I'm not technically on the label yet." Gabriel explained. "Oh" Damien said. "yea…thanks again" Gabriel said and got out of the car.

Gabriel opened the door to his flat. He looked at the furniture. Everyday that he came here brought back memories. Memories of when he had accepted life and been happy. Truly happy. That happiness that made you believe that nothing would ever go wrong. It's that kind of happiness that blinds you so bad that you don't see the wrong coming. Gabriel put his suitcase on a couch and walked to the kitchen area. The kitchen was simple. Microwave, stove, coffee maker and refrigerator. On the refrigerator was a single picture. It was hard for Gabriel to look at but even harder for him to even think about taking it down. The picture was of Gabriel with a gorgeous woman. Though Gabriel knew it wasn't a woman at all. It had been his first love, his only love. A man they called Larry Marry. A performer at the night club Gabriel had once worked and lived at. Gabriel never understood why Larry would go through all of that make up and things to look like a woman. Gabriel loved Larry the way he was. In his heart Gabriel knew it was the need to be a woman that had gotten Larry killed. The papers called it a freak accident. Gabriel looked away from the picture and opened the fridge. Though he suddenly lost his appetite.

Damien arrived back at his hotel. The silent ride over had allowed him time to think and his thoughts had remained on Gabriel. He wondered how far he would really make it in the business. Would he soon be considered 'the competition'? Or could they actually be friends? Gabriel seemed so new to it all but yet he also gave off the vibe of knowing what he was doing. Damien didn't really make friends easy in the business. He had been used a few times and wouldn't like to add to the already big number. Damien slid his key into the lock and then opened the door. His band mate Shawn was sitting on the bed closest to the door, watching TV. His long blonde hair pulled back in a low pony tail. He was dressed in a band t-shirt and black jeans. "When did you get back?" Damien asked him. "Oye, about 20 minutes ago." Shawn replied. "How was it?" Damien asked as he through himself on his bed. Shawn laughed. "Man, it sure is a shame your gay" He said. Damien looked at him and shook his head. "How many did you see?" Damien asked. "13" Shawn said. "Are we talking about the pair or each breast individually?" Damien asked. Shawn smiled then throw his arms up in frustration. "why can't you just pretend like before?!" Shawn asked. Damien laughed. "It was fun" Shawn said. "Glad you had a good time" Damien said. "Talked to Maria" Shawn said after a moment of silence. Damien looked at Shawn. Maria was their publicist and the only time she called was when she had something up her sleeve or there was a rumor going on that she actually took seriously. "And??" Damien asked. "She wants us to take dates to the party. No solo flying allowed" Shawn said without taking his eyes off the TV. "I'm still going alone" Damien said laying down. "She said you have to take someone. She said that it's weird that you show up alone everywhere." Shawn told him. "Never said I was normal" Damien said. Shawn sighed. "Just find someone to take. Quit being so stubborn, Dame" He said. "Hell, take your sister". "I'm not taking Samara" Damien said. "And I'm not being stubborn I'm just want to go alone". "Talk to Maria then" Shawn said returning his attention to the TV. Damien layed there and stared at the ceiling. He knew calling Maria would do no good. He knew exactly what she was going to say, but he grabbed his mobile from his pocket and walked out of the room. He dialed her number. "Your taking someone" Her voice said after only one ring. "I'm fine alone" Damien said. "I know you are, but you haven't been seen with someone in ages." She said. Damien was about to say something when she continued. "I'm not saying you have to make out with them or even hold their hand. Just be seen with them" Maria explained. Damien sighed. "The party is in three days. I won't find anyone in time" He said. It was a bad excuse but he just had to go for it. "I can get someone for you" Maria said without missing a beat. Damien rolled his eyes. He remembered back when he pretended to be straight and Maria got someone for him. The woman wouldn't get off of him. He could just imagine Maria getting a man for him. "No no no, I'm sure I can figure out something" Damien said. Maria laughed. "You better. Party is in three days" She said. "I know. I know" He said. "Goodbye, Damien." She said and hung up. Damien leaned against the wall. He thought for a moment and then walked back into the room. "good news, mate?" Shawn asked. "What do you think?" Damien snapped. Shawn laughed. "oh shut up" Damien threw himself on his bed. He layed there starring at the ceiling. "Sorting all the possible candidates in your head?" Shawn asked him. Damien just layed there. In away he found it alittle sad that he couldn't think of anyone who he could take. He frowned to himself. "No one" he said to himself. "Absolutely no one" . "what?" Shawn asked him. Damien sat up. The look of disbelief still on his face. "I can't think of anyone" He said. Shawn looked at him. "Oh come on, Mate. Maybe your not thinking hard enough. What about that guy who you went with to that one party awhile back?" He asked. Damien rolled his eyes. "that was my cousin". "Well, no one has to know that now do they." Shawn said and laughed. "Don't you think it's…." Damien searched for the right word. "…Pathetic?". "You could always have Maria find you someone." Shawn suggested. "Don't you remember last time?" Damien said and sighed. Shawn nodded. "right" He said. Damien looked at the floor and continued to think. Then it hit him. "wait" Damien said. He felt so stupid for not thinking of it sooner. Damien looked up at Shawn, who's attention was back to the television. Damien stood up. "Where are you going?" Shawn asked. "I have to make a few phone calls" Damien said walking out of the room.

Gabriel had finished his dinner and had already cleaned up, changed into nothing but his boxers and a wife beater when his phone rang. No one had the number but his family and Frainz. He looked at the clock. It read 9:00 pm. He assumed it was a wrong number. He let the machine get it. "Hello, you've reached Gabriel. I was unable to answer your call, but if you leave your name and a number. I will get back to you. Bye" Gabriel heard his voice come from the machine. There was a silence, but instead of the click of the person hanging up Gabriel heard a voice he didn't expect. "Um…Hey, Gabriel, it's Damien Strode…..um…er….I'm not sure how to say this…." Damien's voice said. There was another silence. Gabriel grabbed for the phone on a nearby table. "Hello? Damien?" He asked into the phone as he heard the machine turn off. "Gabriel? Oh…hi.." Damien's voice answered. "How are you?" Gabriel asked. "I'm fine. Just here at my hotel. And you?" Damien asked. "Fine, just watching the telly." Gabriel answered. There was a silence. Gabriel wasn't sure what to say. He was wondering how Damien had gotten his number, but thought it would be rude to ask. "Um…I called because…well, remember that party that the label was having? I..um…just found out that I am allowed to bring a guest…and…I was wondering if you would like to go" Damien asked. Gabriel's heart nearly stopped. 'Was Damien Strode asking him out?'. Gabriel didn't know what to say. "Look, it doesn't have to be a date. I don't know if your…gay but I know you wanted to go." Damien said after there was a moment of silence. "Oh right yea….sure I'll go." Gabriel said. He felt somewhat stupid thinking Damien had wanted to go on a date with him. He was a famous singer. He was probably seeing someone. 'But if he was seeing someone why wouldn't he take him' Gabriel thought. "Great. I'll pick you up Saturday at 8" Damien said with a tone that said he was glad Gabriel said yes. Which confused Gabriel more. "Yea, sure. I'll see you then" Gabriel said. "See ya then, bye" Damien said and disconnected before Gabriel could say bye back. Gabriel hung up the phone and stared at it for a while. Part of him felt like what just happened was some kind of schizophrenic moment. He checked the caller id to prove the call really happened. Gabriel sat at the bottom of the stairs that lead to his bedroom loft. He was going out with Damien Strode…but yet Damien had said it wasn't a date. So then what was it? Damien was taking him to a party, that made him his date. Yet it wasn't a date. Gabriel sighed. He probably shouldn't have said yes. Sure he wanted to go to the party and it was a plus that he was going with Damien. It was the whole date/dating aspect of it all. 'It's not a date' Gabriel kept telling himself. He put his hand threw his hair. He turned the phone on again. Once he heard the dial tone he dialed the number of the one person who he knew would listen to his non-sense rambles. His sister Pagan.

After hanging up with Gabriel, Damien immediately called Maria. "What's his name?" Maria asked. She was spectacle about Damien being able to find someone so fast when he had made it clear he didn't have anyone to take. "His name is Gabriel. He's new to the label" Damien started to explain. "He's about 6 feet talk, blonde hair, blueish eyes. That paint a clear enough picture?" Damien asked. "No need for sarcasm." Maria said. She took a deep breath. "So his name is Gabriel and he has blonde hair" Maria repeated. "sounds like your type". "I told you, I don't want to date." Damien said. "And did you tell him that?" Maria said. "Well, I told him that it didn't have to be a date. I don't know if he's gay" Damien said. "Oh, he's gay." Maria said. "What? How do you know?" Damien asked, though it wasn't really a surprise that she would know. Maria did tend to know everything. Or so it seemed. "Frainz is producing his record right?" Maria asked but sounded like a statement. "Yea" Damien said. "He's gay." Maria said simply. Damien groaned. "What you think you would be happy" Maria said. "I think I'm going to just cancel. I don't want to lead him on" Damien said. "Don't you dare! Look, just go with him and have fun. Just because your both gay doesn't mean something is going to happen. Just relax, Damien. Don't think to much about it." Maria said calmingly. Damien sighed. "Alright.". "Good now get some sleep and I will talk to you tomorrow" Maria said and disconnected.


End file.
